FREDERIC REMINGTON
r-
SUNDOWN LEFLARE, WASHED AND
DRESSED UP
SUNDOWN
L E F L A R E
Written and Illustrated by
FREDERIC REMINGTON
NEW YOEK AND LONDON
HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
1899
BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
CROOKED TRAILS. Illustrated by the Author.
Svo, Cloth, Ornamental, $2 00.
Mr. Remington presents a perfect combination when
he works with himself, supplementing his own letter
press with his own illustrations and vice versa. — Albany
Journal
PONY TRACKS. Illustrated by the Author. Svo,
Half Cloth, Ornamental, $1 75.
The pictures are better than the articles and the arti
cles are very good indeed, which is equivalent to saying
that the pictures are remarkably fine. — Brooklyn Times.
NEW YORK AND LONDON :
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS.
Copyright, 1899, by HABPKB & BBOTIIESS.
All right* rtierved.
CONTENTS
PAGE
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE (An Indian Myth
of the Thunder) 3
How ORDER No. 6 WENT THROUGH (As Told
by Sundown Leflare) 25
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT .... 49
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY 73
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF 95
M110878
ILLUSTRATIONS
SUNDOWN LEFL ARE, WASHED AND DRESSED
UP Frontispiece
"HE JUMP FROM HEES PONY TO DEES
RED HORSE" Facing p. 14
THE MYSTERY OF THE THUNDER. . " l8
THE GOING OF THE MEDICINE-HORSE " 2O
"UN I WAS YELL TERRIBLE" ... " 34
"SHE WAS KEEP OFF JUS' FRONT OF
MY PONY" " 38
"HE SAIS HE WEEL NOT PUT DE
WOMAN ON DE BLANKET". . . " 58
"HEES BEEG BUFFALO-LANCE SHE GO
CLEAN TROO MY SHOULD AR " . . " 66
"I WAS GEET UP UN WAS LOOK AT
DE LEETLE MAN" " 86
"HE WAS LAUGH AT ME FROM BE
TWEEN DE WHEEL" " go
" WE COME 'LONG SLOW TROO DE
MOUNTAIN" « IO6
" I SAIS : ' YOU GO DOWN DEES CAN
YON'" . " IIO
vii
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
AN INDIAN MYTH OF THE THUNDER
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
AN INDIAN MYTH OF THE THUNDER
" ITSONEORRATSEAHOOS," or Paint,
as the white men called him, had the
story, and had agreed to tell it to me.
His tepee was not far, so " Sundown
Leflare " said he would go down and
interpret.
Sundown was cross-bred, red and
white, so he never got mentally in sym
pathy with either strain of his progen
itors. He knew about half as much
concerning Indians as they did them
selves, while his knowledge of white
men was in the same proportion. I
3
THE GREAT MEDICINE- HORSE
felt little confidence that I should get
Paint's mysterious musings transferred
to my head without an undue propor
tion of dregs filtered in from Sun
down's lack of appreciation. While the
latter had his special interest for me,
the problem in this case was how to
eliminate " Sundown " from " Paint."
So much for interpreters.
We trudged on through the soft gray-
blues of the moonlight, while drawing
near to some tepees grouped in the
creek bottom. The dogs came yelling ;
but a charge of Indian dogs always
splits before an enemy which does not
recoil, and recovers itself in their rear.
There they may become dangerous.
Sundown lifted the little tepee flap
and I crawled through. A little- fire of
five or six split sticks burned brightly
in the centre, illuminating old Paint as
he lay back on his resting -mat. He
4
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
grunted, but did not move ; he was
smoking. We shook hands, and Sun
down made our peace-offering to the
squaw, who sat at her beading. We
reclined upon the tepee and rolled cig
arettes. There is a solemnity about the
social intercourse of old Indian warriors
which reminds me of a stroll through a
winter forest. Every one knows by this
how the interior of an Indian tepee
looks, though every one cannot neces
sarily know how it feels ; but most peo
ple who have wandered much have met
with fleas. Talk came slow ; but that
is the Indian of it: they think more
than they talk. Sundown explained
something at length to Paint, and back
came the heavy guttural clicking of the
old warrior's words, accompanied by
much subtle sign language.
" He sais he will tell you 'bout de
horse. Now you got for keep still and
5
THE GREAT MEDICINE- HORSE
wait ; he'll talk a heap, but you'll get
de story eef you don' get oneasy."
" Now, Sundown, remember to tell
me just what Paint says. I don't care
what you think Paint means," I admon
ished.
" I step right in hees tracks."
Paint loaded his long red sandstone
pipe with the utmost deliberation, sat
up on his back-rest, and purled with an
exhaust like a small stationary engine.
The squaw put two more sticks on the
fire, which spitted and fluttered, light
ing up the broad brown face of the old
Indian, while it put a dot of light in his
fierce little left eye. He spoke slowly,
with clicking and harsh gutturals, as
though he had an ounce of quicksilver
in his mouth which he did not want to
swallow. After a time Sundown raised
his hand to enjoin silence.
" He sais dat God — not God, but dat
6
THE GREAT MEDICINE- HORSE
is bess word I know for white man ; I
have been school, and I know what he
want for say ees what you say medicin',
but dat ees not right. What he want
for say ees de ding what direct heem un
hees people what is best for do ; et ees
de speret what tell de old men who can
see best when dey sleep. Well — any
how, it was long, long time ago, when
hees fader was young man, and 'twas
hees fader's fader what it all happened
to. The Absarokes deedn't have po
nies 'nough — de horses ware new in de
country — dey used for get 'em out of a
lac,* 'way off somewhere — dey come
out of ee water, and dese Enjunf lay
in the bulrush for rope 'em, but dey
couldn't get 'nough ; besides de Enjun
from up north she use steal 'em from
Absaroke. Well — anyhow, de medi
cin' tole hees fader's fader dat he would
* Lake. f Indian.
7
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
get plenty of horses eef he go 'way
south. So small party went long wid
heem — dey was on foot — dey was trav
el for long time, keep in de foothill.
Dey was use for travel night un lay by
daytime, 'cept when dey was hunt for
de grub. De country was full up wid
deir enemie, but de medicin' hit was
strong, and de luck was weed 'em. De
medicin' hit keep tellin' 'em for go 'long
— go on — on — on — keep goin' long, long
time. He's been tellin' me de names
of revers dey cross, but you wouldn't
know dem plass by what he call 'em.
Dey keep spyin' camps, but the medi
cin' he keep tellin' 'em for go on, go on,
un not bodder dem camp, un so dey
keep goin'."
Here Sundown motioned Paint, and
he started his strange, high-pitched
voice — winking and moving his hands
at Sundown, who was rolling a cigarette,
8
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
though keeping his eyes on the old
Indian. Presently the talking ceased.
"He sais — dey went on — what he is
tryin' for say ees dey went on so far hit
was heap hot, un de Enjun dey was
deeferent from what dees Enjun is.
He's tryin' for to get so far off dat I
don' know for tell you how far he ees."
" Never mind, Sundown ; you stick to
Paint's story," I demanded.
« Well — anyhow — he's got dees out
fit hell of a long way from home, un
dey met up wid a camp un heap of
pony. He was try tell how many pony
—like the buffalo use be— more pony
dan you see ober, by Gar. Den de
medicin' say dey was for tac dose pony
eef dey can. Well, den de outfit lay
roun' camp wid de wolf-skin on — de
white wolf. De Enjun he do jus' same
as wolf, un fool de oder Enjun, you see;
well, den come one night dey got de
9
THE GREAT MEDICINE- HORSE
herds whar dey wanted 'em, un cut out
all they could drive. Et was terrible
big bunch, 'cording as Paint say. Dey
drive 'em all night un all nex' day, wid
de horse-guides ahead, un de oders be-
hin', floppin' de wolf-robe, un Paint say
de grass will nevar grow where dey pass
'long ; but I dink, by Gar, Paint ees
talk t'ro' hees hat."
" Never mind — I don't want you to
think — you just freeze to old Paint's
talk, Mr. Sundown," I interlarded.
" Well, den— damn 'em, after dey had
spoil de grass for 'bout night un day de
people what dey had stole from come
a~runnin'. Et was hard for drive such
beeg bunch fas' — dey ought for have
tac whole outfit un put 'em foot ; but
Paint say — un he's been horse-tief too
hisself, by Gar — he say dey natu'lly
couldn't ; but I say — "
" Never mind what you say."
10
THE GREAT MEDICINE- HORSE
" Well, anyhow, I say — "
" Never mind, Sundown !"
" Well, ole Paint he say same t'ing.
" De oder fellers kim up wid 'em, so
just natu'lly dey went fightin' ; but dey
had extra horses, un de oder fellers dey
didn't, 'cep' what was fall out of bunch,
dem bein' slow horses, un horses what
was no 'count noway. Dey went run-
nin' un fightin' ' way in de night ; but
de herd split on 'em, un he's fader's
fader went wid one bunch, un de oder
fellers went wid de ' split,' which no
one neber heard of no more. De men
what had loss de horses all went after
de oder bunch. Hees fader's fader
rode all dat night, all nex' day, un den
stopped for res'. Dar was only 'bout
ten men for look after de herd, which
was more horses dan you kin see een
dees valley to-day ; what ees more horses
dan ten men kin wrangle, 'cordin' to me."
ii
THE GREAT MEDICINE- HORSE
" Never mind, Sundown."
"Let 'er roll, Paint," said Leflare, be
ginning a new cigarette.
"He sais," interrupted Sundown,
"dey was go 'long slow, slow — goin'
towards de village — when one day dey
was jump by dose Cheyenne. Dey went
runnin' an' fightin' till come night, un
couldn't drive de herd rightly. Dey
loss heap of horses, but as dey come
onto divide, dey saw camp right in
front of dem. It was 'mos' night, so
four or five of hees fader's fader's men
dey cut out a beeg bunch, and spilt hit
off down a coulie. De Enjun foller de
oder bunch, which ram right eento de
village, whar the 'hole outfit went for
fight lac * hell. Paint's fader's fader she
saw dees as she rode ober de hill. Dey
was loss heap of men dat day by bein'
kill un by run eento dose camp — lese-
* Like.
12
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
wise none of dem ever show up no
more. Well, den, Paint say dey was
keep travellin' on up dees way — hit was
tac heem d long story for geet hees
fader's fader's outfit back here, wheech
ees hall right, seem' he got 'em so far
'way for begin wid."
Then Paint continued his story :
" He sais de Sioux struck 'em one
day, un dey was have hell of a fight —
runnin' deir pony, shootin' deir arrow.
One man he was try mount fresh horse,
she stan' steel un buck, buck, buck, un
dees man he was not able for geet on ;
de Sioux dey come run, run, un dey
kiell* heem. You see, when one man
he catch fresh horse, he alway' stab hees
played-out horse, 'cause he do not want
eet for fall eento hand of de Enjun fol-
lerin'. Den White Bull's horse she run
slow ; he ' quirt ' heem, but eet was do
* Kill.
13
THE GREAT MEDICINE- HORSE
no good — ze horse was done ; de Sioux
dey was shoot de horse, im no one know
whatever becom' of heem, but I dink he
was kiell all right 'nough. Den 'noder
man's horse she was stick hees foot in
dog-hole, un de Sioux dey shoot las'
man 'cept hees fader's fader. Den he
was notice a beeg red horse what had
alway' led de horse ban' since dey was
stole. Dese Enjun had try for rope
dees horse plenty times, but dey was
never been able, but hees fader's fader
was ride up to de head of de ban', un
jus' happen for rope de red horse. He
jump from hees pony to dees red horse
jus' as Sioux was 'bout to run heem
down. De big red horse was run — run
run lac hell — ah ! He was run, by
Gar, un de Sioux dey was — aah ! — de
Sioux dey couldn't run wid de big red
horse nohow.
" He was gone now half-year, un he
14
THE GREAT MEDICINE- HORSE
deed not know where he find hees peo
ple. He was see coyote runnin' 'head,
un he was say * good medicinY He
foller after leetle wolf — he was find two
buffalo what was kiell by lightnin', what
show coyote was good medicin'. He
was give coyote some meat, un nex' day
he was run on some Absaroke, who was
tell him whar hees people was, wheech
was show how good de coyote was.
When he got camp de Enjun was ter
rible broke up, un dey had nevar before
see red horse. All of deir horses was
black, gray, spotted, roan, but none of
dem was red — so dees horse was tac to
de big medicin' in de medicin'-lodge,
un he was paint up. He got be strong
wid Absaroke, un hees fader's fader was
loss horse because he was keep in medi-
cin'-tepee, un look after by big medicin'-
chiefs. Dey was give out eef he was
loss eet would be bad, bad for Absa-
15
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
roke, un dey was watch out mighty close
— by Gar, dey was watch all time dees
red horse. When he go out for graze,
t'ree warriors was hole hees rope un
t'ree was sit on deir pony 'longside. No
one was ride heem."
Then, talking alternately, the story
came : " He sais de horse of de Absa-
roke was increase — plenty pony — un de
mare he was all red colts ; de big horse
was strong. De buffalo dey was come
right to de camp — by Gar, de horse was
good. De Sioux sent Peace Commis
sion for try buy de horse — dey was do
beesness for Enjun down whar de sum
mer come from, what want for geet heem
back — for he was a medicin'-horse. De
Absaroke dey was not sell heem. Den
a big band of de Ogalalas, Bruits, Min-
neconjous, Sans Arcs, Cheyennes, was
come for tac de red horse, dey was kiell
one village, but dare was one man 'scape,
16
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
what was come to red horse, un de Ab-
saroke dey was put de red paint on deir
forehead. Ah ! de Sioux dey was not
get de red horse — dey was haf to go
'way. Den some time de beeg medi-
cin'-horse was have hell of a trouble wid
de bigges' medicin'-chief, right in de big
medicin- lodge. Dees word median'
don't mean what de Enjun mean ; de
tent whar de sperets come for tell de
people what for do, ees what dey mean ;
all same as Fader Lacomb he prance
'roun' when he not speak de French —
dat's what dey mean. All right, he
have dees trouble wid de head chief, un
he keek heem een de head, un he kiell
him dead. After dat he was get for be
head medicin'-chief hisself, un he tole
all de oder medicin' -chief what for do.
He was once run 'way from de men
what was hoi' hees rope when he was
graze — dey was scared out of deir
B 17
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
life of heem eef dey was mak* heem
mad, un he was go out een herd un
kiell some horse. No one was dare go
after heem. De medicin'-men dey was
go out wid de big medicin' — dey was
talk come back to heem ; but he
wouldn't come. Den de virgin woman
of de tribe — she was kind of medicin'-
man herself — she was go out un make
a talk ; she was tell red horse to go off
— dat's de way for talk to people when
deir minds not lac oder people's minds
— un de horse she was let heem bring
heem back. After dat all de Absaroke
women had for behave preety well, or
de medicin'-men kiell dem, 'cause dey
say de medicin'-horse she was want de
woman for be better in de tribe. Be
d good t'ing eef dat horse she 'roun'
here now."
" Oh, you reptile ! will you never mind
this thinking— it is fatal !" I sighed.
18
THE MYSTERY OF THE THUNDER
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
" Well, anyhow, he sais de woman
dey was have many pappoose, un de
colts was red, un was not curly hair, un
de ' yellow eyes '* was come wid de
gun for trade skin. De buffalo she was
stay late ; de winter was mile ; de ene
my no steal de pony, un de Absaroke
he tac heap scalp — all dese was medi-
cin'-horse work. But in de moon een
which de geese lay deir eggs de great
horse he was rise up een de curl of de
smoke of de big lodge — he was go plum'
t'ro de smoke -hole. De chief ask him
for not go, but he was say he was go
to fight de T'under-Bird. He say he
would come back. Dey could keep his
ghost. So he went 'way, un since den
he has nevar come back no more. But
Paint say lots of ole men use for see
heem go t'ro' air wid de lightnin' comin'
out of his nose, de T'under-Bird al-
* White men.
'9
THE GREAT MEDICINE- HORSE
ways runnin' out of hees way ; he was
always lick de t'under. Paint say dese
Enjun have not yet see de medicin'-
horse nowday ; eef dey was seen heem
more, dey see no 'yellow eyes' een
dees country. He sais he has seen de
medicin' - horse once. He was hunt
over een de mountain, but he was not
have no luck; he was hungry, un was
lay down by leetle fire een canon. He
was see de beeg medicin'-horse go 'long
de ridge of de hill 'gainst de moon — he
was beeg lac de new school -house.
Paint got up un talked loud to de
horse, askin' heem eef he was nevar
come back. De horse stop un sais —
muffled, lac man talk t'ro' blanket-
Yes, he was come back from speret-
land, when he was bring de buffalo
plenty ; was roll de Ian' over de white
men ; was fight de north wind. He
sais he was come back when de Absa-
20
THE GOING OF THE MEDICINE-HORSE
THE GREAT MEDICINE-HORSE
roke was not wear pants, was ride wid-
out de saddle ; when de women was on
de square — un, by Gar, I t'ink he not
come varrie soon."
" What does Paint say ?"
" Ah, Paint he sais hit weel all come
some day."
"Is that all?"
" Yes — dat ees all," said Sundown.
To be sure, there is quite as much
Sundown in this as Paint — but if you
would have more Paint, it will be neces
sary to acquire the Crow language, and
then you might not find Paint's story
just as I have told it.
HOW ORDER NO. 6 WENT
THROUGH
AS TOLD BY SUNDOWN LEFLARE
HOW ORDER NO. 6 WENT
THROUGH
AS TOLD BY SUNDOWN LEFLARE
WE were full of venison and coffee
as we gathered close around the camp-
fire, wiping the fitful smoke out of our
eyes alternately as it came our way.
" It's blowing like the devil," said the
sportsman, as he turned up his face to
the pine-trees.
" Yees, sair. Maybeso dar be grass
fire secon' ting we know," coincided
Sundown Leflare.
Silver -Tip, the one who drove the
wagon, stood with his back to us, gaz-
25
HOW ORDER NO. 6
ing out across the mountain to an omi
nous red glare far to the south. " Ef
that forest fire gets into Black Canyon,
we'll be straddlin' out of yer all sorts
of gaits before mornin'," he remarked.
"Cole night," observed Bear -Claw,
which having exhausted his stock of
English, he spoke further to Fire-Bear,
but his conversation was opaque to us.
" Look at the stars !" continued the
sportsman.
" Yes — pore critters — they have got
to stay out all night ; but I am going
to turn in. It's dam cold," and Silver-
Tip patted and mauled at his blankets.
" What was the coldest night you
ever saw ?" I asked.
He pulled off his boots, saying : "Seen
heap of cold nights — dun'no' what was
the coldest — reckon I put in one over
on the Bull Mountains, winter of '80,
that I ain't going to forget. If nex' day
26
WENT THROUGH
hadn't been a Chinook, reckon I'd be
thar now."
" You have been nearly frozen, I sup
pose, Sundown?" I added.
" Yees, sair — I was cole once all
right."
" Ah — the old coffee-cooler, he's been
cold plenty of times. Any man what
lives in a tepee has been cold, I reckon ;
they've been that way six months for a
stretch," and having made this good-
natured contribution, Silver-Tip pulled
his blanket over his head.
Sundown's French nervousness rose.
" Ah — dat mule-skinner, what she know
'bout cole ? — she freeze on de green
grass. I freeze seex day in de middle
of de wintar over dar Buford. By gar,
dat weare freeze too ! Come dam near
put my light out. Um-m-m !" and I
knew that Sundown was my prey.
"How was that?"
27
HOW ORDER NO. 6
"Over Fort Keough — I was scout
for Ewers — she was chief scout for
Miles," went on Leflare.
" Yas, I was scout too — over Keough
— same time," put in Ramon, the club-
footed Mexican.
" Yees, Ramon was scout too. Say —
Miles she beeg man Eas' — hey ? I see
her come troo agency — well, fall of '90.
Ah, she ole man ; don' look like she use
be sebenty-seben. Good-lookin' den."
" Wall — what you spect?" sighed his
congener Ramon, in a harsh interrup
tion. " I was good-lookin' mon myselef
— sebenty-seben."
" You weare buy more squaw dan you
weare eber steal — you ole frog. Dat
Miles she was mak heap of trouble up
dees way. I was geet sebenty dollar a
month. She not trouble my people,
but she was no good for Cheyenne un
Sioux. Dey was nevar have one good
28
WENT THROUGH
night sleep af er she was buil' de log
house on de Tongue Riviere. Ah, ha,
we was have hell of a time dem day' —
don' we, Wolf-Voice?" and that worthy
threw up his head quickly, and said,
" Umph !"
" Well — I was wid my ole woman set
in de lodge one day. Eet was cole.
Lieutent Ewers she send for me. I
was know I was got for tak eet or lose
de sebenty. Well, I tak eet. Eet was
cole.
" I was tink since, it weare dam good
ting I lose dat sebenty. I was geet two
pony, un was go to log house, where de
officier she write all time in de book.
Lieutent was say I go to Buford. I
was say eet dam cole weddar for Bu
ford. Lieutent was say I dam coffee-
cooler. Well — I was not. Sitts-on-the-
Point and Dick, she white man, was
order go Buford wid me. Lieutent
29
HOW ORDER NO. 6
was say, when she han' me beeg lettair
wid de red button, ' You keep eet clean,
Leflare, un you go troo.' I tole heem
I was go troo, eef eet was freeze de
steamboat.
" We was go out of de fort on our
pony — wid de led horse. We was tak'
nothin' to eat, 'cause we was eat de
buffalo. I was look lak de leetle buffa
lo — all skin. Skin hat — skin robe —
skin leggin — you shoot me eef you see
me. Eet was cole. We weare ride lak
hell. When we was geet to Big Dry,
Dick she say, ' Your pony no good ;
your pony not have de oat ; you go
back.' He says he mak Buford to-mor
row night. I say, * Yees, we go back
to-morrow.'
" We mak leetle sleep, un Sitts-on-
the- Point he go back Keough, but I
geets crazy, un say I brave man ; I
weel not go back ; I weel go Buford,
30
WENT THROUGH
or give de dinner to de dam coyote. I
weel go.
" My pony he was not able for run,
un Dick she go over de heel — I was see
her no more. I was watch out for de
buffalo — all day was watch. I was hun
gry ; dar was nothin' een me. All
right, I was go top of de heel — I was
not see a buffalo. All dese while I was
head for de Mountain -Sheep Buttes,
where I know Gros Ventre camp up by
Buford. Eet was blow de snow, un I
was walk heap for keep warm. I was
tink, eef no buffalo, no Gros Ventre
camp for Leflare, by gar. I was marry
Gros Ventre woman once, un eef I was
geet dar I be all right. De snow she
blow, un I could see not a ting. When
eet geet dark, I was not know where I
was go, un was lay down een de willow
bush. Oh, de cole — how de hell you
spect I sleep? — not sleep one wink,
HOW ORDER NO. 6
'cept one. Well, my pony was try
break away, but I was watch 'im, 'cept
dat one wink. De dam pony what was
led horse, she was geet off een de one
wink. I see her track een de mornin',
but I was not able for run him wid de
order pony. He was geet clean away.
'Bout dat I was sorry, for een de day
time I was go keel heem eef no buf
falo.
" Een de morniu' de win' she blow ;
de snow she blow too. Eet was long
time 'fore I untie my lariat, un couldn't
geet on pony 'tall — all steef — all froze.
I walk long — walk long ;" and Sundown
shrugged up his shoulders and eyebrows,
while he shut down his eyes and mouth
in a most forlorn way. He had the
quick, nervous French delivery of his
father, coupled with the harsh voice of
his Indian mother. There was also
much of the English language employed
32
WENT THROUGH
by this waif of the plains which, I know,
you will forgive me if I do not intro
duce.
" I deedn't know where I was — I was
los' — couldn't see one ting. Was keep
under cut bank for dodge win'. De
enow she bank up een plass, mak me
geet out on de pararie, den de win' she
mak me hump. Pony he was heavy leg
for punch troo de snow. All time I was
watch out for buffalo, but dar was no
buffalo;" and Sundown's voice rose in
sympathy with the frightful condition
which haunted his memory.
" Begin tink my medicin' was go
plumb back on me. Den I tink Ewers
— wish she out here wid dam ole or
der. Eet mak me mad. Order — all
time order — by gar, order soldier to
change hees shirt — scout go two hun
dred miles. My belly she draw up like
tomtom, un my head go roun', roun',
c 33
HOW ORDER NO. 6
lak ting Ramon was mak de hair rope
wid ; my han' she shake lak de leaf
de plum-tree. I was fall down under
cut bank, wid pony rope tie roun' me.
Pony he stay, or tak me wid heem.
How long I lay — well, I dun'no', but I
was cole un wak up. Eet was steel — de
star she shine ; de win' she stop blow.
Long time I was geet up slow. I was
move leetle — move leetle — deen I was
move queek — move leetle — move queek.
All right — you eat ten deer reebs while
I was geet up un stan' on my feet. Pony
he was white wid de snow un de fros'.
Buffalo-robe she steef lak de wagon box.
Long time I was move my finger — was
try mak fire, un after while she blaze
up. Ah, good fire — she steek in my
head. Me un pony we geet thaw out
one side, den oder side. I was look at
pony — pony was look at me. By gar —
I tink he was 'fraid I eat heem ; but I
34
"UN I WAS YELL TERRIBLE
WENT THROUGH
was say no — I eat him by-un-by. I was
melt de snow een my tin cup — was
drink de hot water — eet mak me strong.
Den come light I was ride to beeg butte,
look all roun' — all over, but couldn't
tell where I was. Den I was say, no
buffalo I go Missouri Riviere.
" Long time, I was come to de buffa
lo. Dey was all roun' — oh, everywhere
— well, hundred yard. When I was
geet up close, I was aim de gun for
shoot. I couldn't hole dat gun — she
was wabble lak de pony tail een de fly-
time. All right, I shoot un shoot at de
dam buffalo, but I neber heet eem 'tall
— all run off. My head she swim ; my
han' she shake ; my belly she come up
een my neck un go roun' lak she come
untie. I almos' cry.
" Well — I dun'no' jus' what den.
Tears lak my head she go plumb off.
I was wave my gun ; was say I not
35
HOW ORDER NO. 6
afraid of de Sioux. Dam de Sioux!
— I was fight all de Sioux in de wotT.
I was go over de snow fight dem, un I
was yell terrible. Eet seem lak all de
Sioux, all de Cheyenne, all de Assini-
boine, all de bad Enjun een de woiT,
she come out of de sky, all run dar
pony un wave dar gun. I could hear
dar pony gallop ovar my head. I was
fight 'em all, but dey went 'way.
"A girl what I was use know she
come drop — drop out of de sky. She
had kettle of boil meat, but she was not
come right up — was keep off jus' front
of my pony. I was run after de girl,
but she was float 'long front of me — I
could not catch her. Den I don' know
nothin'.
" Black George un Flyin' Medicin'
was two scout come to Keough from
Fort Peck. Dey saw me un follow me
— dey was go to keel me, but dey see I
36
WENT THROUGH
was Leflare, so dey rope my pony, tak
me een brush, mak fire, un give me
leetle meat. By come night I was feel
good — was geet strong.
" We was 'fraid of de Assiniboine—
'cause de order fellers had seen beeg
sign. I sais let us go 'way mile or so
un leave fire burn here.
" Black George he sais he no dam ole
woman — he brav man — fight dem — no
care dam for Assiniboine.
"I say to myself, all right — Assini
boine been foller you. I go.
" Flyin' Medicin' he want for go, but
George he sais Assiniboine scare wom
an wid hees pony track — umph ! un
Flyin' Medicin' she sais she no ole
woman. I say, by gar, I am woman ; I
have got sense. You wan' stay here
you be dead. Den I tak my pony un
I go 'way een de dark, but I look back
dar un see Medicin', she lie on de robe,
37
HOW ORDER NO. 6
Black George she set smoke de pipe,
un a gray dog he set on de order side,
all een de firelight. I sais dam fools.
" Well, I got for tell what happen.
When I was go 'bout mile I was lay
down. 'Bout one hour I hear hell of
shootin'. I geet up queek, climb pony,
run lak hell. I was ole woman, un I
was dam glad for be ole woman. Eet
was dark ; pony was very thin ; all same
I make heap of trail 'fore mornin' bes'
I could."
I asked Sundown what made the
shooting.
"Oh — Black George camp — course I
deedn't know, but I was tink strong eet
bee hees camp all right 'nough. Long
time after I hear how 'twas. Well —
dey lay dar by de fire — Medicin' on
hees back — George she set up — dog he
set up order side — Assiniboine come on
dar trail. I was ole woman — eef not,
38
WENT THROUGH
maybeso I was set by de fire too —
humph !
" George he geet no chance fight
Assiniboine. Dey fire on hees camp,
shoot Flyin' Median' five time — all
troo chest, all troo leg, all troo neck —
all shoot up. Black George she was
shot t'ree time troo lef arm ; un, by
gar, gray dog she keel too. Black
George grab hees gun un was run jump
down de cut bank. Assiniboine was
rush de camp un run off de pony, but
George she was manage wid her lef
han' to shoot over cut bank, un dey
was not dare tak Medicin's hair. Black
George he was brave man. He was talk
beeg, but he was as beeg as hees talk.
He was scout roun', un was see no As
siniboine ; he was come to Flyin' Medi
an', who was go gurgle, gurgle — oh, he
was all shot — all blood" — and here
Sundown made a noise which was aw-
39
HOW ORDER NO. 6
fully realistic and quite unprintable,
showing clearly that he had seen men
who were past all surgery.
" George she raise Medicin' up, was
res' hees head on hees arm, un den
Medicin' was give heem hell. He was
say : ' Deedn't I tole you ? By gar,
you dam brave man ; you dam beeg
fool! You do as I tole you, we be
'live, by gar. Now our time has come.'
When he could speak again — when he
had speet out de blood — he sais, ' Go
geet my war -bag — geet out my war-
bonnet — my bead shirt — my bead moc
casins — put 'em on me — my time
has come'; un Black George she geet
out all de fine war -clothes, un she
dress Medicin' up — all up een de war-
clothes. * Put my medicin'-bag on my
breas' — good-bye, Black George, keek
de fire — good-bye ' ; un Medicin' die all
right.
40
WENT THROUGH
" Course Black George she put out a
foot un mak trail for Keough. He was
haf awful time ; was seex day geet to
buffalo -hunter camp, where she was
crawl mos' of de way. De hunter was
geeve heem de grub, un was pull heem
to Keough een dar wagon. Reckon he
was cole — all de blood run out hees
arm — nothin' to eat — seex day — reckon
dat ole mule -skinner she tink she was
cole eef she Black George."
"What became of you meanwhile?"
" Me ? Well — I was not stop until
come bright day ; den my pony was go
deese way, was go dat way " — here Sun
down spread out his finger-tips on the
ground and imitated the staggering fore
feet of a horse.
" I was res' my pony half day, un
was try keel buffalo, but I was weak
lak leetle baby. My belly was draw
Up — Was go roun' — was turn upside-
41
HOW ORDER NO. 6
down — was hurt me lak I had wile-cat
inside my reebs. De buffalo was roun'
dar. One minute I see 'em all right,
nex' minute dey go roun' lak dey was
all drunk. No use — I could not keel
buffalo. Eet was Gros Ventre camp or
bus' Leflare wid me den. All time eet
very cole ; fros* go pop, pop under pony
feet. Guess I look lak dead man —
guess I feel dam sight worse. Dat seex
day she mak me very ole man.
" I was haf go slow — pony he near
done — jus' walk 'long. I deedn't care
dam for Assiniboine now. De gray
wolf he was follow 'long behin' — two —
t'ree — four wolf. I deedn't care dam
for wolf. All Sioux, all Assiniboine, all
wolf een de worl' — she go to hell now ;
I no care. I was want geet to Gros
Ventre camp 'fore I die. I was walk
'long slow — was feed my pony; my
feet, my han's was get cold, hard lak
42
WENT THROUGH
knife-blade. I was haf go to cut bank
for fall on my pony's back — no crawl
up no more. I was ride all night, slow,
slow. Was sit down ; wolf was come up
look at me. I was tell wolf to go to
hell.
" Nex' day same ting — go 'long slow.
Pony he was dead ; he no care for me.
I can no more keek heem ; I cannot use
whip ; I was dead.
" You ask me eef I was ever froze —
hey, what you tink? Dat mule-skinner,
Silver -Tip, he been dar — by gar, he
nevair melt all nex' summer.
" Jus' dark I was come een big tim
ber by creek. I was tink I die dar, for
I could not mak de fire. I was stan'
steel lak de steer een de coulee when
de blizzair she blow. Den what you
tink? I was hear Gros Ventre woman
talk 'cross de riviere. She was come
geet de wattair. I was lead de pony
43
HOW ORDER NO. 6
on de hice. I was not know much, but
I was wake up by fall een wattair troo
crack een hice. My rein was 'roun' my
shoulder ; my gun she cross my two
arm. I could not use my han'. When
I was fall, gun she catch 'cross hice—
pony was pull lak hell — was pull me
out. I was wet, but I was wake up.
Eef dat bridle she break, een de spring
time dey fine Leflare een wheat - fiel'
down Dakotah.
" De woman was say, ' Go below —
you find de ford.' Den he was run.
After while I get 'cross ford — all hice.
Was come dam near die standin' up.
I was see leetle log house, un was go to
door un pound wid my elbow. ' Let
me een — let me een — I froze,' sais I, een
Gros Ventre.
" Dey say, 4 Who you are ?'
"I sais, 'I am Leflare — I die een
'bout one minute — let me een.'
44
WENT THROUGH
" * You talk Gros Ventre ; maybeso
you bad Engun. How we know you
Leflare?' sais de woman.
" ' Eef I not Leflare, shoot when
you open de door,' un dey open de
door. I tink dey was come near shoot
me — I was look terrible — dey was
'fraid. I grab de fire, but dey was
pull me 'way. Dey was sit on me un
tak off my clothes un rub me wid de
snow. Well, dey was good ; I dun'no'
what dey do, but I was eat, eat, leetle
at a time, till I was fall 'sleep. When
I was wake up I was say, ' Tak dam ole
order to Buford,' un I was tole de man
what was tak eet I was keel heem eef
he not tak eet.
" I lay een dat log house t'ree day
'fore I geet out, un den I go Buford.
Dey sais de order she was all right.
Den dey want me go back Keough wid
order. I sais, ' Dam glad go back,' for
45
HOW ORDER NO. 6 WENT THROUGH
de weddar she was fine den. ' You
geeve me pony/
" ' Why geeve you pony ?* sais de
officier.
"' By £ar> de las' order she keel my
pony,' I sais."
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S
WARM SPOT
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S
WARM SPOT
TOWARDS mid - day the steady brill
iancy of the sun had satiated my color
sense, and the dust kicked up in an irri
tating way, while the chug-a-chug, chug-
a-chug of the ponies began to bore me.
I wished for something to happen.
We had picked wild plums, which
had subdued my six-hour appetite, but
the unremitting walk-along of our march
had gotten on my nerves. A proper man
should not have such fussy things — but
I have them, more is the pity. The
pony was going beautifully : I could not
D 49
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
quarrel with him. The high plains do
things in such a set way, so far as weath
er is concerned, and it is a day's march
before you change views. I began to
long for a few rocks — a few rails and
some ragged trees — a pool of water
with some reflections — in short, any
thing but the horizontal monotony of
our surroundings.
To add to this complaining, it could
not be expected that these wild men
would ever stop until they got there,
wherever "there " might happen to be
this day. I evidently do not have their
purpose, which is " big game," close to
my heart. The chickens in this creek-
bottom which we are following up
would suit me as well.
These people will not be diverted,
though I must, so I set my self -con
sidering eye on Sundown Leflare. He
will answer, for he is a strange man,
50
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
with his curious English and his weird
past. He is a tall person of great phys
ical power, and must in his youth have
been a handsome vagabond. Born and
raised with the buffalo Indians, still
there was white man enough about him
for a point of view which I could under
stand. His great head, almost Roman,
was not Indian, for it was too fine; nor
was it French ; it answered to none of
those requirements. His character was
so fine a balance between the two, when
one considered his environment, that I
never was at a loss to place the inflec
tions. And yet he was an exotic, and
could never bore a man who had read
a little history.
Sombreroed and moccasined, Sun
down pattered along on his roan pinto,
talking seven languages at the pack-
ponies, and I drew alongside. I knew he
never contributed to the sum of human
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
knowledge gratuitously ; it had to be ir
ritated out of him with delicacy. I won
dered if he ever had a romance. I knew
if he ever had, it would be curious. We
bumped along for a time doggedly, and
I said,
" Where you living now, Sundown?"
Instantly came the reply, " Leevin'
here." He yelled at a pack-horse ; but
turning with a benignant smile, added,
" Well, I weare leeve on dees pony, er
een de blanket on de white pack-horse."
" No tepee?" I asked.
"No — no tepee," came rather sol
emnly for Sundown, who was not sol
emn by nature, having rather too much
variety for that.
" I suppose you are a married man ?"
4< No — no — me not marry," came the
heavy response.
" Had no woman, hey?" I said, as I
gave up the subject.
52
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
" Oh, yees ! woman — had seex wom
an," came the rather overwhelming in
formation.
" Children too, I suppose?"
" Oh, dam, yes ! whole tribe. Why,
I was have boy old as you aire. He up
Canada way ; hees mudder he Black-
foot woman. Dat was 'way, 'way back
yondair, when I was firs' come Rocky
Mountain. I weare a boy."
I asked where the woman was now.
"Dead — long, long time. She got
keel by buffalo. She was try for skin
buffalo what was not dead 'nough for
skin. Buffalo was skin her," and Sun
down grinned quickly at his pleasantry ;
but it somehow did not appeal to my
humor so much as to my imagination,
and it revealed an undomesticated mind.
" Did you never have one woman
whom you loved more than all the oth
ers?" I went on.
53
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
" Yees ; twenty year 'go I had Gros
Ventre woman. She was fine woman —
bes' woman I evair have. I pay twen
ty-five pony for her. She was dress de
robe un paint eet bettair, un I was mak
heap of money on her. But she was
keel by de Sioux while she was one day
pick de wil' plum, un I lose de twenty-
five pony een leetle ovair a year I have
her. Sacre" !
" Eef man was hab seex woman lak
dat een dose day, he was not ask de
odds of any reech man. He could sell
de robe plenty ;" and Sundown heaved
a downright sigh.
I charged him with being an old trad
er, who always bought his women and
his horses ; and Sundown turned his
head to me with the chin raised, while
there was the wild animal in his eye.
" Buy my woman ! What de 'ell you
know I buy my woman ?"
54
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
And then I could see my fine work.
I gave him a contemptuous laugh.
Then his voice came high-pitched:
" You ask me de oddar night eef I weare
evair cole. Do you tink I was evair cole
now? You say I buy my woman. Now
I weel tell you I deed not alway buy
my woman."
And I knew that he would soon vin
dicate his gallantry, so I said, softly,
" I will have to believe what you tell
me about it."
" I don' wan' for dat agent to know
'bout all dees woman beesness. He
was good frien' of mine, but he pretty
good man back Eas' — maybeso he
not lak me eef he know more 'bout
me ;" and Sundown regained his com
posure.
" Oh, don't you fret — I won't say a
word," I assured him. And here I find
myself violating his confidence in print ;
55
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
but it won't matter. Neither Sundown
nor the agent will ever read it.
" 'Way back yondair, maybeso you
'bout dees high " — and he leaned down
from his pony, spreading his palm about
two feet and a half above the buffalo-
grass — " I was work for Meestar Mac-
Donnail, what hab trade -pos' on Mis
souri Reever. I was go out to de En-
jun camp, un was try for mak 'em come
to Meestar MacDonnail for trade skin.
Well, all right. I was play de card for
dose Enjun, un was manage for geet
some skin myself for trade Meestar
MacDonnail. I was know dose Enjun
varrie well. I was play de card, was
run de buffalo, un was trap de skin.
" I was all same Enjun — fringe, bead,
long hair — but I was wear de hat. I
was hab de bes' pony een de country,
un I was hab de firs' breech-loadair een
de country. Ah, I was reech ! Well, I
56
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
young man, un de squaw she was good
frien' for me, but Snow-Owl hab young
woman, un he tink terrible lot 'bout her
— was watch her all time. Out of de
side of her eye she was watch me, un I
was watch her out of de side of my eye
— we was both watch each oddar, but
we deed not speak. She was look fine,
by gar ! You see no woman at Billings
Fair what would speet even wid her. I
tink she not straight-bred Enjun wom
an — I tink she 'bout much Enjun as I
be. All time we watch each oddar. I
know eet no use for try trade Snow-
Owl out of her, so I tink I win her wid
de cards. Den I was deal de skin game
for Snow-Owl, un was hab heem broke
—was geet all hees pony, all hees robe,
was geet hees gun ; but eet no use.
Snow-Owl she not put de woman on de
blanket. I tell heem, 'You put de
woman on de blanket, by gar I put
57
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
twenty pony un forty robe on de
blanket.'
" No, he sais he weel not put de wom
an on de blanket. He nevair mind de
robe un de pony. He go to de Absaroke
un steal more pony, un he have de robe
plenty by come snow.
" Well, he tak some young man un
he go off to Absaroke to steal horse, un
I sect roun' un watch dat woman. She
watch me. Pretty soon camp was hunt
de buffalo, un I was hunt Snow -Owl's
woman. Every one was excite, un dey
don' tak no 'count of me. I see de
woman go up leetle coulie for stray
horse, un I foliar her. I sais : ' How
do? You come be my woman. We
run off to Meestar MacDonnail's trade-
house.'
" She sais she afraid. I tole her :
' Your buck no good ; he got no robe,
no pony ; he go leave you to live on de
53
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
camp. I am reech. Come wid me.'
And den I walk up un steek my knife
eento de ribs of de old camp pony
what she was ride. He was go hough !
hough ! un was drop down. She was
say she weel go wid me, un I was tie
her hand un feet, all same cowboy she
rope de steer down, un I was leave her
dair on de grass. I was ride out een de
plain for geet my horse ban', un was
tell my moccasin-boy I was wan' heem
go do dees ting, go do dat ting — I was
forget now.
" Well, den back I go wid de horse-
ban' to de woman, un was put her on
good strong pony, but I was tak off
hees lariat and was tie her feet undar
hees belly. I tink maybeso she skin
out. Den we mak trail for Meestar
MacDonnail, un eet was geet night. I
was ask her eef she be my squaw. She
sais she will be my squaw ; but by gar
59
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
she was my squaw, anyhow, eef I not
tak off de rawhide." Sundown here
gave himself up to a little merriment,
which called crocodiles and hyenas to
my mind.
" I was tell you not for doubt I mak
dat horse-ban' burn de air dat night. I
knew eef dose Enjun peek up dat trail,
dey run me to a stan'-steel. Eet was
two day to Meestar MacDonnail, un I
got dair 'bout dark, un Meestar Mac
Donnail she sais, * When dose Enjun
was come een ?' I sais, ' Dey come
pretty queek, I guess.'
" I was glad for geet een dat log
fence. My pony she could go no more.
Well, I was res' up, un maybeso eet
four day when up come de Vance-guard
of dose Enjun, un dey was mad as wolf.
Deedn't have nothin' on but de mocca
sin un de red paint. Dey was crazy.
Meestar MacDonnail he not let 'em een
60
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
de log fence. Den he was say, * What
een hell de matter, Leflare?' I sais,
' Guess dey los' someting.'
" Meestar MacDonnail was geet up
on de beeg gate, un was say, * What you
Enjun want?' Dey was say, 'Leflare;
he stole chief's wife.' Dey was want
heem for geeve me up. Den Meestar
MacDonnail he got crazy, un he dam
me terreble. He sais I was no bees-
ness steal woman un come to hees
house ; but I was tol' heem I have no
oddar plass for go but hees house. He
sais, 'Why you tak woman, anyhow?'
I was shrug my shouldair.
"Dose Enjun dey was set roun' on
dair ham -bone un watch dat plass, un
den pretty soon was come de village —
dog, baby, dry meat — whole outfeet.
Well, Leflare he was up in a tree, for
dey was mak camp all roun' dat log
fence. Meestar MacDonnail he was
61
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
geet on de gate, de Enjun dey was set
on de grass, un dey was talk a heap —
dey was talk steady for two day. De
Enjun was have me or dey was burn de
pos'. Meestar MacDonnail sais he was
geeve up de woman. De Enjun was
say, dam de woman — was want me. I
was say I was not geeve up de woman.
Dat was fine woman, un I was say eef
dey geet dat woman, dey mus' geet Le-
flare firs'.
" All night dar was more talk, un de
Enjun dey was yell. Meestar MacDon
nail was want me for mak run een de
night-time, but I was not tink I geet
troo. 'Well, den,' he sais, 'you geeve
yourself to dose Enjun.' I was laugh
at heem, un cock my breech-loadair, un
say, 'You cannot mak me.'
" De Enjun dey was shoot dar gun at
de log fence, un de white man he was
shoot een de air. Eet was war.
62
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
" All right. Pretty soon dey was mak
de peace sign, un was talk some more.
Snow-Owl had come.
" Den I got on de gate un I yell at
dem. I was call dem all de dog, all de
woman een de worl'. I was say Snow-
Owl he dam ole sage -hen. He lose
hees robe, hees pony, hees woman, un I
leek heem een de bargain eef he not
run lak deer when he hear my voice.
Den I was yell, bah !" which Sundown
did, putting all the prairie-dogs into
their holes for our day's march.
" Den dey was talk.
" Well, I sais, eef Snow -Owl he any
good, let us fight for de woman. Let
dose Enjun sen' two beeg chief eento
de log fence, un I weel go out eento de
plain un fight Snow-Owl for de woman.
Eef I leek, dose Enjun was have go
'way ; un eef dar was any one strike me
but Snow-Owl, de two chief mus' die.
63
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
Meestar MacDonnail he say de two
chief mus' die. De Enjun was talk
heap. Was say 'fraid of my gun. I
was say eef I not tak my gun, den
Snow-Owl mus' not tak hees bow-arrow.
Den dey send de two chief eento de log
house. We was fight wid de lance un
de skin-knife.
" Eet was noon, un was hot. I was
sharp my knife, was tie up my bes'
pony tail, un was tak off my clothes,
but was wear my hat for keep de sun
out of my eye. Den I was geet on my
pony un go out troo de gate. I was yell,
4 Come on, Snow-Owl ; I teach you new
game ;' un I was laugh at dem.
" Dose Enjun weare not to come
within rifle-shot of de pos', or de chief
mus' die.
"All right. Out come Snow -Owl.
He was pretty man — pretty good man,
I guess. Oh, eet was long time 'go. I
64
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
tink he was brav' man, but he was tink
too much of dat woman. He was on
pinto pony, un was have not a ting on
heem but de breech -clout un de bull-
hide shiel'. Den we leek our pony, un
we went for fight. I dun'no' jes what
eet all weare ;" and Sundown began to
undo his shirt, hauling it back to show
me a big livid scar through the right
breast, high up by the shoulder.
" De pony go pat, pat, pat, un lak de
light in de mornin' she trabel 'cross de
plain we come togaddar. Hees beeg
buffalo lance she go clean troo my
shouldar, un br'ak off de blade, un trow
me off my pony. Snow -Owl she stop
hees pony chuck, chunck, chinck, un was
come roun' for run me down. I peeked
up a stone un trow eet at heem. You
bet my medicine she good ; eet heet
heem een de back of de head.
"Snow -Owl she go wobble, wobble,
E 65
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
un she slide off de pony slow lak, un I
was run up for heem. When I was geet
dair he was geet on hees feet, un we
was go at eet wid de knife. Snow-Owl
was bes' man wid de lance, but I was
bes' man wid de knife, un hees head was
not come back to heem from de stone,
for I keel him, un I took hees hair ; all
de time de lance she steek out of my
shouldar. I was go to de trade-pos',
un dose Enjun was yell terreble ; but
Meestar MacDonnail she was geet on
de gate un say dey mus' go 'way or de
chief mus' die.
" Nex' morning dey was all go 'way ;
un Leflare he go 'way too. Meestar
MacDonnail he did not tink I was buy
all my squaw. Sacre !
" Oh, de squaw — well, I sol her for
one hundred dollar to white man on de
Yellowstone. 'Twas t'ree year aftair
dat fight ;" and Sundown made a de-
66
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
tour into the brushy bottom to head
back the kitchen - mare, while I rode
along, musing.
This rough plains wanderer is an old
man now, and he may have forgotten
his tender feelings of long ago. He
had never examined himself for any
thing but wounds of the flesh, and nat
ure had laid rough roads in his path,
but still he sold the squaw for whom he
had been willing to give his life. How
can I reconcile this romance to its posi
tively fatal termination?
Back came Sundown presently, and
spurring up the cut-bank, he sang out,
" You tink I always buy my squaw,
hey?— what you tink 'bout eet now?"
Oh, you old land-loper, I do not know
what to think about you, was what
came into my head ; but I said, " Sun
down, you are a raw dog," and we both
laughed.
67
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
So over the long day's ride we bobbed
along together, with no more romance
than hungry men are apt to feel before
the evening meal. We toiled up the
hills, driving the pack-horses, while the
disappearingsun made the red sand-rocks
glitter with light on our left, and about
us the air and the grass were cold. Pres
ently we made camp in the canyon, and
what with laying our bedding, cooking
our supper, and smoking, the darkness
had come. Our companions had turned
into their blankets, leaving Sundown
and me gazing into the fire. The dance
of the flames was all that occupied my
mind until Sundown said, " I want for
go Buford dees wintair."
" Why don't you go ?" I chipped in.
« Oh— leetle baby— so long," and he
showed me by spreading his hands
about eighteen inches.
"Your baby, Sundown?"
68
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
" Yees — my little baby," he replied,
meditatively.
"Why can't you go to Buford?" I
hazarded.
" Leetle baby she no stan' de trip.
Eet varrie late een de fall — maybeso
snow — leetle baby she no stan' dat."
"Why don't you go by railroad?" I
pressed ; but, bless me, I knew that
was a foolish question, since Sundown
Leflare did not belong to the railroad
period, and could not even contemplate
going anywhere that way.
" I got de wagon un de pony, but de
baby she too leetle. Maybeso I go nex'
year eef baby she all right. I got white
woman up at agency for tak care of de
baby, un eet cos' me t'ree dollar a week.
You s'pose I put dat baby een a dam
Enjun tepee?" And his voice rose
truculently.
As I had not supposed anything con-
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S WARM SPOT
earning it, I was embarrassed somewhat,
and said, " Of course not — but where
was the mother of the child ?"
" Oh, her mudder — well, she was no
Enjun. Don' know where she ees
now. When de leetle baby was born,
her mudder was run off on de dam rail
road ;" and we turned in for the night.
My romance had arrived.
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
SITTING together comfortably on the
front porch of the house of the man
who ran the flouring-mill at the agency,
Sundown and I felt clean, and we both
had on fresh clothes. He had purchased
at the trader's a cotton shirt with green
stripes, which would hold the entire at
tention of any onlooker. We were in
clined to more gayety than the smoke
of the mountain camp-fire superinduced,
and became more important and mate
rial when the repression of the great
mountains was removed.
"Well, Sundown, how are you feel
ing?" I opened.
73
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
" Feelin' pretty reech dese day," he
observed, with a smile.
" Have you paid the kid's board yet?"
" Ah, by gar, I was pay dose board-
money 'fore I was geet off dat pony.
How you s'pose I know what weel come
when I was heet de agency? Firs' fel-
lar she wiggle de pas'eboard maybeso
Sundown go broke. Well, I was buy
de shirt un de tobac. Good shirt, deese,
hey ? Well, den, I don' care."
" Of course you don't, my dear Mr.
Leflare. Having money is a great dam
age to you," I continued.
" Yes, dat ees right. Money she no
gran' good ting for Enjun man lak for
white folk. Enjun she keep de money
een hees han' 'bout long she keep de
snow een hees han', but I was tell you
eet was all he was geet dese day. Pony
she not bring much. Enjun he can't
mak de wagon 'less he 'ave de price.
74
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
De dry meat, de skin, un de pony, she
was what Enjun want ; but he was geet
leetle now. Use for 'ave eet long time
'go ; now not'ing but money ! Dam !
"Back yondair, een what year you
call '80 — all same time de white man
was hang de oddar white man so fas' —
she geet be bad. De buffalo man she
was come plenty wid de beeg wagon,
was all shoot up de buffalo, was tak all
de robe. Den de man come up wid de
cow, un de soldier he was stop chasse
de Enjun. De Enjun she was set roun'
de log pos', un was not wan' be chasse
some more — eet was do no good. Den
come de railroad ; aftar dat bad, all
bad. Was see peop' lak you. Dey was
'ave de money, un was all time scout
roun' un buy de cow. De man what
was sell de cow she buy de cow some
more ; dey all done do not'ing but set
roun' un buy de cow. I could not geet
75
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
de buffalo, un could no more geet de
money for be soldier scout. Well, I
was not understan' — I was not know
what do. We was keel de cow once —
maybeso I tell you 'bout dat some time.
De cowboy she say we mus' not keel
de cow. We say, ' You keel our buffa
lo, now we mus' keel your cow.' He
sais soldiers dey geet aftar us, un we
don' know what do.
" I was say to Dakase un Hoopshuis:
'You mak de horse -ban' wid me. We
go on de Yellowstone un sell de cow
boy de pony — mak great deal of mon
ey,' " continued Sundown.
In hopes of development, I asked
where he got all the ponies.
"Ah, nevar you min' dat. We was
geet dem pony where dey was cheap."
And I knew, from his cynicism, that it
was an ancient form of his misbehavior.
" So Dakase un me un Hoopshuis was
76
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
tak de horse-ban' to Yellowstone Reev-
er, un was hole eet by Meestar John
Smeeth log house back een de foot-
heel. Meestar John Smeeth he was
sell de rum un deal de card in de log
house. De cowboy she stop roun'
Meestar John Smeeth log house, un de
cowboy was raise hell. Dees rum she
varrie bad medicin' for Enjun, all right ;
un she varrie bad for cowboy, all same.
Cowboy he geet drunk, wan' all time
for burn hees seex-shootair. Bad plass
for Enjun when de cowboy she hise een
de rum.
"Well, 'long come de cow outfeet,
un Dakase un de oddar Enjun she was
pull out een de foot-heel, but I was stop
roun' for notice Meestar John Smeeth
sell de horse-ban' to de cowboy. Mees
tar John Smeeth she not be varrie bes'
man I evair was see. We all time look
at Meestar John Smeeth varrie sharp.
77
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
I was say to Meestar Smeeth, ' You sell
de pony to de cowboy, un eef you geet
'nough money, you 'ave one horse when
you was sell ten horse '; un I sais to
heem : ' I tink you not ride varrie far
on de beeg road eef you beat roun'
much when you do beesness with us
Enjun. I weel talk de Anglais to dose
cowboy, un I weel find you out, Mees
tar John Smeeth.'
" 'Long come de cowboy, un Meestar
Smeeth she was try sell de pony ; but
de cowboy she weel not buy de pony,
'cause she say de bran' - iron not b'long
Meestar John Smeeth. He sais, no,
not b'long heem, b'long friend of hees.
" Dose cowboy dey laugh varrie loud,
un dey sais, ' Guess, Meestar Smeeth,
you see your frien' troo de smoke.'
" Cowboys dey go 'way. Meestar
Smeeth he sais, ' I mak dat bran' b'long
me,' so Dakase un Hoopshuis un me,
73
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
un Meestar John Smeeth, we was work
t'ree day een de corral, un we was mak
dat bran' b'long Meestar John Smeeth.
All time dar weare a leetle white man
what was hang roun' de log house un
shuffle de card. He know how shuffle
dose card, I tell you. He was all time
fool wid de card. He wear de store
clothes, un he was not help us bran' de
horse - ban', 'cause he sais, * Dam de
pony !'
" We wait roun', wait roun'. Oh, we
was eat Meestar Smeeth bacon, un we
was not strain ourself for de time. Mees
tar Smeeth he was fry de bacon un mak
de bread, un he geet varrie much hope
for noddar cow outfeet.
" T'ree men weare come 'long de
beeg stage-road. Dey sais dar name ees
Long-Horn. Well, I know what white
man she call de Long-Horn now, un I
'ave know since what he call de Short-
79
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
Horn. I tink eet good deal lak Enjun
call de Big-Robe ; I tink eet good deal
lak John Smeeth. Dar ain't much
Long -Horn nowday, un dar ain't so
much John Smeeth as dar use be.
"All right, dey was buy de horse-
ban', un was pay de money right dar.
Dey was drive de pony on de beeg
stage-road. Meestar John Smeeth she
give us de money, un sais we weel play
de pokair a leetle. Dat was good bees-
ness, so we was all set down een de
log house un play de pokair. Maybeso
we play one whole day. All right, dey
was geet every dam cent we got ; all de
money what was b'long Dakase un me
un Hoopshuis, un we was loss our pony
un our money.
" Dekase un Hoopshuis dey geet on
dar pony un go 'way, but I was stay at
de log house, for I was see dat de leetle
man she was deal us de skin game, but
80
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
I was not see how he was do de ting.
I was varrie much wan' for know how
he do eet, un was tell heem I was not
care eef he 'ave all my money, jus' so
he show me how he deal dat skin game.
I tell heem dat maybeso I keel heem
eef he not show me. Well, den he was
show me. He was rub my right thumb
wid de powder -stone, un de skin she
geet varrie sof. Den he was show me
how feel de prick een de card, un he
was show me how feel de short end of
de card — dose cards was 'ave de one
end file' off. He was geeve me deck of
dose short card, un I was set een front
of dat log house, un look up at de cloud,
un feel dose prick un does short card —
I was feel two day steady.
" Me un de store-clothes man we was
set een front of de log house, may
beso eet t'ree day, when up de road
come de t'ree Long -Horn white man
F 81
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
what had pay for de horse -ban'. Dey
was run dar horse plenty.
" I was shut my eye pretty close, un
I was tink pretty queek. I was tink
great deal more queek dan I was tole
you 'bout dees ting. I was say, ' Sun
down, what mak dem t'ree white man
run dem horse so fas'?' I was see why.
I was say to myself, Dakase un Hoop-
shuis she 'ave steal dem pony. I geet
up un sais, ' You store-clothes man, you
run aftar me or you be keel' 'bout one
minute'; un I was go roun' de corner of
dat log house un geet een de cotton-
woods ; den we was mak de san' fly
'bout one mile. Pretty queek I was
hear shootin', den I was hear not'ing.
We was geet on a point of de rock, un
we was see de white man : she look at
our moccasin track. Dey was go back
to log house, un go 'way up de stage-
trail.
82
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
" I sais den : ' Store-clothes, Meestar
John Smeeth ees all fix up for burn de
candle ovair. Dem white mans have
kill heem.'
" Den we go back, scout up de log
house, un fin' Meestar John Smeeth —
oh, all shoot up. He was fry de bacon
when dose man weare pour de lead een
heem.
"We was bury dees Smeeth, un I
sais: ' Now, Meestar Store-clothes, you
un I got for run lak hell. De cowboy
he come pretty soon, un he come smok-
inY
" Store-clothes she sais cannot run on
de horse.
" ' Well/ I sais, ' you cannot run on
de foot, by gar ; de cowboy she 'ave
your trail hot 'fore you tink.'
" I was geet down de pony from de
foot -heel un was put de store - clothes
man on one pony, un den I was herd
83
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
dat pony all day un all night. He was
groan terrible — oh, my, 'ow he was
squawk, was dat leetle man ! but I was
leek de pony wid my rope, un de pony
was run long pretty good wid de store-
clothes man.
" He was say tak heem to railroad.
" ' No,' I sais ; ' go tak you wid me.
We play de skin game plass I know, un
eef we win, den I tak you to railroad.'
" ' How far dees plass ?' sais de leetle
man.
" ' Ah — we geet dar eef de pony hole
out.' Den we was 'ave de long talk.
I was say I keel heem eef he lose. He
was say de oddar fellar keel heem eef
he win. ' Well,' I sais, ' I sure keel
you, maybeso de oddar fellar dey won't
— you 'ave de bes' chance wid me.'
" He sais who de oddar feller is?
" I tell heem dey part Enjun, part
white man — dey was breeds lak me.
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
" I was know a breed outfeet on de
breaks of de Mountain - Sheep Butte
what was run de pony off un was sell
heem. Dey was 'ave plenty money, un
I tink we play de skin game on dem.
" When we was geet dar I was talk I
fin' de store-clothes man out een de heel,
un was bring heem in. He was not un-
'erstan' de Enjun talk. He was not
know a ting 'cept deal de card, but he
was know dat all right.
" Dose breed weare set roun' de camp
un deal de card un drink de rum for
day or so. We was not play de card
much, un de store -clothes man he was
lose a leetle when he was tak de chance
een. Pretty soon dar was 'bout t'ree
man she 'ave de money what b'long
whole outfeet, un de store-clothes man
he sais, 'You geet pony all fix up for
run off, un to-night we play de game.'
I sais : ' You geet all de money by de
S5
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
middle of de night-time, un don' you
mees cet — I keel you. I weel turn
every horse out de camp, un when I
mak de sign you follair me — queek.'
Eet was 'bout ten o'clock when we
was set down on de buffalo - robe un
play de pokair wid de t'ree man by de
fire. One man what was not play was
hole de spleet steek for give de light.
" Eet was not long 'fore I was lose all
de money what I was 'ave, what was
what de store - clothes man 'ad geeve
me. Den de leetle man she look at me,
un she varrie much scare. He weare
lak de snow ; guess he nevair see much
Enjun ; guess he not lak what he 'ave
see. I was geet up un was look at
de leetle man — was look varrie smart at
heem" — and here Sundown accompa
nied with a look which must have chilled
the soul of the frontier gambler.
" Den I was slide 'way een de dark.
86
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
I was scout up dat camp. Dey was
mos' all drunk, 'cept de t'ree man what
was play de card. Dey was varrie mad,
but de leetle man was not know how
mad dose breeds was, 'cause de Enjun
when he varrie mad she don't look deff-
erent. Dey was lose dair money pretty
fas' to de leetle man.
" I was cut de rope of de pony all
roun' de camp, un dey was all go off
down de creek for de watair. Dey was
tie up long time. By gar, eef dar was
one man see me, eet be bad for de
store - clothes man, I tell you. Guess
dey keel heem. No one see me. I
was bring two pony up close to de
camp, quiet lak, un tie dem een de
bush. Den I was go to de fire. De
leetle man she look at me un she cache
all de money on de robe een hees pock
et, un he tole me, 'You say I wan'
queet.' De breeds dey say he mus' not
87
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
queet. All right, he say, he play some
more. Den dey was play, un he was
deal, un dey was all 'ave de big han'ful,
un bet all dair money. I was know de
leetle man he sure win, un I was tak
out my seex-shootair.
" Den dese breed she got varrie much
excite. Oh, dey weare wild, un dey
weare show down dair han' on de robe.
De leetle man he was win all right. He
sais he sorry — he not wan' win all dair
money.
" I sais, * You store-clothes man, you
put de money een your pocket ; you
'ave win all right.' One man he sais he
'ave not win all right, un he mus' geeve
de money back. I was heet dees man
een de head wid my gun, un he was
fall down. Den dey was all jump up,
un de fellar what was hole de spleet
steek she drop de spleet steek. I was
jump to de leetle man un say, ' Come.'
88
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
" We run queek to dose bush, geet
on de pony, un we geet out. Eet was
so leetle time dat dese breed dey not
sabe, un I don' know what dey do den.
I herd dat store -clothes man on de
pony, un he sais, ' Now you tak me to
de railroad.'
" I sais : ' Yes, now I tak you to de
railroad. Guess you tink dat pretty hot
pokair game ?'
" He sais, eef he only geet to dat
railroad ;" and Sundown laughed long
and heartily.
" Guess dem breed fellars dey 'ave de
long time for fin' dose pony. Eet was
no use for me try herd dat leetle man
fas' 'nough eef dose Enjun geet dose
pony queek ; but dey deed not, so I
was geet to Glendive, what was de end
of de railroad. Dat store-clothes man
he was great deal more teekle dan
Meestar B when he geet dat bull
89
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
elk oddar day. He was jump up un
down ; he was yell ; he was tank me ;
he was buy great deal of rum. We was
have varrie good time.
" Den we was play de pokair some
more — was play wid de white man. De
leetle man was deal de card, un I was
all time win. Was win all de white
man was 'ave, un was geet a papier
from one man what was what you call
de mortgage for de leevery-stable. ' All
right,' sais de leetle man, * you put up
your money — I put up my money un
de papier — we tak de leevery-stable.
Sundown,' he sais, ' we* go eento bees-
ness — hey ?'
" So we was go eento beesness — een
de beesness of de leevery-stable. I was
varrie great man.
" Dat was Saturday, un Sunday I was
go out to see de pries', what was tole
me to come. Aftair.I was see de pries'
90
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
un was fix up, I come back eento de
village, un was go to de leevery-stable.
Dey was say I not own de leevery-sta
ble. 'You go see your pardner,' dey
sais ; un I geet on my pony for fin'
leetle man what was my pardner. I
look all roun'. De people was say he
go off on de railroad. I was run dat
pony for de dam railroad.
" When I was geet dar de train, what
was de freight, she weare pull out. I
was see de leetle store-clothes man — my
pardner — she was stan' beside de train,
un he was see me.
" I ride up, but he was jump on un-
dair de car — what you call — de car-
wheel axe, un he was laugh at me from
between de wheel. He was yell, ' Sun
down, I blow een de leevery-stable las'
night.'
" ' I weel blow you een,' I sais, un I
fire de seex-shootair at heem, but I was
SUNDOWN LEFLARE'S MONEY
unable to heet heem. De train was run
fas' ; my pony was not run so fas' — I
could not catch heem. He was ride on
de brake bettair dan on de pony ;" and
Sundown Leflare looked sad, for had
not most of his real troubles come of
railway trains ?
" Well, Leflare/' I said, as I thought
of this meteoric financial tour, " nothing
came of all that enterprise, did it?"
" No — no — not'ing came of dat."
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
I SAT in the growing dusk of my
room at the agency, before a fire, and
was somewhat lonesome. My stay was
about concluded, and I dreaded the
long ride home on the railroad — an in
stitution which I wish from the bottom
of my heart had never been invented.
The front door opened quietly, and
shut. The grating or sand-paper sound
of moccasined feet came down the hall,
my door opened, and Sundown Leflare
stole in.
" Maybeso you wan' some coal on
dees fire — hey?" he observed, looking
in at the top of the stove.
95
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
" No, thank you — sit down," I re
plied, which he did, performing forth
with the instinctive act of making a
cigarette.
" Sundown, I am going home to-mor
row."
"Where you was go home?" came
the guttural response.
" Back East."
" Ah, yees. I come back Eas' myself
—I was born back Eas'. I was come
out here long, long time 'go, when I
was boy."
" And what part of the East did you
come from ?"
" Well — Pembina Reever — I was born
een dat plass, un I was geet be good
chunk of boy een dat plass — un, by gar,
I wish I geet be dead man een dat
plass. Maybeso I weel."
" You think you will go back some
day?" I ventured.
96
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
" Oh, yees — I tink eet weel all come
out dat way. Some day dat leetle baby
he geet ole for mak de travel, un I go
slow back dat plass. I mak dat baby
grow up where dar ees de white woman
un de pries'. I mak heem 'ave de farm,
un not go run roun' deese heel on de dam
pony." Sundown threw away his ciga
rette, and leaned forward on his hands.
"You are a Roman Catholic?" I
asked.
" Yees, I am Roman Catholic. Dose
pries' ees de only peop' what care de
one dam 'bout de poor half-breed En-
jun. You good man, but you not so
good man lak de pries'. You go run
roun' wid de soldier, go paint up deese
Enjun, un den go back Eas' ; maybeso
nevair see you 'gain. Pries' he stay
where we stay, un he not all de while
wan' hear how I raise de hell ober de
country. He keep say, 'You be good
G 97
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
man, Sundown'; un, by gar, he keep
tell me how for be good man.
" I be pretty good man now ; maybe-
so eet 'cause I too ole for be bad man ;"
and Sundown's cynicism had asserted
itself, whereat we laughed.
It occurred to me that time had
fought for the priest and against the
medicine-man in these parts, and I so
inquired.
"Yees,- dey spleet even nowday.
Pries' he bes' man for half-breed; but
he be white man, un course he not know
great many ting what dose Enjun know."
" Why, doesn't he know as much as
the medicine - man ?" came my infant-
like question.
" Oh, well, pries' he good peop' ; all
time he varrie good for poor Sundown ;
but I keep tell you he ees white man.
All time wan' tak care of me wKen I
die. Well, all right, dees Enjun medi-
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
cine-man she tak care of me when I was
leeve sometime. You s'pose I wan' die
all time? No; I wan' leeve ; un 1 got
de medicine ober een my tepee — varrie
good medicine. Eet tak me troo good
many plass where I not geet troo may-
beso."
" What is your medicine, Sundown ?"
"Ah, you nevair min' what my medi
cine ees. You white man ; what you
know 'bout medicine ? I see you 'fraid
dat fores' fire out dair een dose moun
tain. You ask de question how dose
canyon run. Well, you not be so 'fraid
you 'ave de medicine. De medicine
she tak care dose fire.
" White man she leeve een de house ;
she walk een de road ; she nevair go
half-mile out of hees one plass; un I
guess all de medicine he care 'bout he
geet een hees pocket.
" I see deese soldier stan' up, geet
99
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
keel, geet freeze all up ; don* 'pear care
much. He die pretty easy, un de pries'
he all time talk 'bout die, un dey don't
care much 'bout leeve. All time deese
die : eet mak me seeck. Enjun she wan'
leeve, un, by gar, she look out pretty
sharp 'bout eet too.
" Maybeso white man she don' need
medicine. White man she don' 'pear
know enough see speeret. Humph !
white man can't see wagon-track on de
grass ; don' know how he see wagon-
track on de cloud. Enjun he go all
ober de snow ; he lie een de dark ; he
leeve wid de win', de tunder — well, he
leeve all time out on de grass — night
time — daytime — all de time."
"Yes, yes — certainly, Sundown. It
is all very strange to me, but how can
you prove to me that good comes to you
which is due to your medicine alone ?"
" Ah-h — my medicine — when weare
100
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
she evair do me any good ? Ah-h, firs'
time I evair geet my medicine she save
my life — what ? She do me great deal
good, I tell you. Eef dose pries' be
dair, she tell me, * You geet ready for
die ' ; but I no wan' die.
" Well, fellar name Wauchihong un
me was trap de bevair over by de Sou-
ris Reever, un we weare not geet to dat
reever one night, un weare lay down for
go sleep. We weare not know where we
weare. We weare wak up een de mid
dle of dat night, un de plain she all
great beeg grass fire. De win' she
weare blow hard, un de fire she come
1 whew-o-o-o !' We say, where we run ?
My medicine she tell me run off lef
han', un Wauchihong hees medicine tell
heem you run off right -han' way. I
weare say my medicine she good ; he
weare say hees medicine varrie ole —
have done de great ting — weare nevair
101
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
fail. We follow our medicine, un so
we weare part. I run varrie fas', un
leetle while I fall een de Souris Reever,
un den I know dose fire she not geet
Leflare. My medicine was good.
" Nex' day I fin' Wauchihong dead.
All burn — all black. He was burn up
een dose fire what catch heem on de
plain. De win' she drove de fire so fas'
he could do not'ing, un hees medicine
she lie to heem.
" You s'pose de pries' he tole me
wheech way for run dat night ? No ;
she tell me behave myself, un geet
ready for die right dair? Now what
you tink?"
Revelations and truths of this sort
were overpowering, and no desire to
change a man of Sundown's age and
rarity came to my mind ; but in hopes
I said, " Did it ever so happen that
your medicine failed you?"
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
" My medicine she always good, but
medicine ees not so good one time as
nodder time. Do you s'pose I geet dat
soldier order to Buford eef my medi
cine bad? But de medicine she was
not ac' varrie well dat time.
" Deed you evair lie down alone een
de bottom of de Black Canyon for pass
de night ? I s'pose you tink dair not'ing
but bear een dat canyon ; but I 'ave 'ear
dem speerets dance troo dat canyon, un
I 'ave see dem shoot troo dem pine-tree
when I was set on de rim-rock. Deed you
evair see de top of dose reever een de
moonlight ? What you know 'bout what
ees een dat reever ? White man he don*
know so much he tink he know. Guess
de speeret don' come een de board house,
but she howl roun' de tepee een de win-
tair night. Enjun see de speerets dance
un talk plenty een de lodge fire ; white
man he see not'ing but de coffee boil.
103
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
" White men mak de wagon, un de
seelver dollar, un de dam railroad, un
he tink dat ees all dair ees een de coun
try ;" and Sundown left off with a gut
tural " humph," which was the midship
shot of disaster for me.
" But you don't tell the priest about
this medicine?"
"No — what ees de use for tell de
pries' ? — he ees white man."
I asked Sundown what was the great
est medicine he ever knew, and he did
not answer until, fired by my doubts,
he continued, slowly, " My medicine ees
de great medicine."
A critic must be without fear, since
he can never fully comprehend the in
tent of other minds, so I saw that fort
une must favor my investigations, for
I knew not how to proceed ; but know
ing that action is life, I walked quickly
to my gripsack and took out my sil-
104
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
ver pocket - flask, saying : " You know,
Sundown, very well, that it is dead
against the rule to give a redskin a
drink on a United States agency, but I
am going to give you one if you will
promise me not to go out and talk
about it in this collection of huts. Are
you with me ?"
" Long-Spur — we pretty good frien'
— hey ? I weel not say a ting."
Then the conventionalities were gone
through with, and they are doubtless
familiar to many of my readers.
" Now I tole you dees ting — what
was de great medicine — but I don' wan'
you for go out here een de village un
talk no more dan I talk— are you me ?"
" I am you," and we forgathered.
" Now le's see ; I weel tole you 'bout
de bigges* medicine," and he made a
cigarette.
" You aire young man — I guess may-
105
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
beso you not born when I was be medi
cine-man ; but eet was bad medicine for
Absaroke, un you mus' not say a ting
'bout dees to dem. I am good frien'
here now, but een dose day I was good
frien' of de Piegan, un dey wan' come
down here to de Absaroke un steal de
pony. De party was geet ready — eet
was ten men, un we come on de foot.
We come 'long slow troo de mountain
un was hunt for de grub. Aftair long
time we was fin' de beeg Crow camp —
we was see eet from de top of de Pryor
Mountain. Den we go 'way back up
head of de canyon, 'way een dat plass
where de timber she varrie tick, un we
buil' de leetle log fort, 'bout as beeg as
t'ree step 'cross de meddle. We was
wan' one plass for keep de dry meat ;
we weare not wan' any one for see our
fire ; un we weare put up de beeg fight
dair eef de Absaroke she roun' us up.
1 06
WE COME 'LONG SLOW TROO DE MOUNTAIN "
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
" Een dose day de Enjun he not
come een de mountain varrie much —
dey was hunt de buffalo on de flat, but
maybeso she come een de mountain,
un we watch out varrie sharp. Every
night, jus' sundown, we go out — each
man by hees self, un we watch dat beeg
camp un de horse ban's. Eet was 'way
out on de plain great many mile. White
man lak you he see not'ing, but de En
jun he mak out de tepee un de pony. I
was always see much bettair dan de od-
dar Enjun — varrie much bettair — un
when we come back to de log fort for
smoke de pipe, I was tole dose Enjun
jus* how de country lay, un where de
bes' plass for catch dem pony."
I think one who has ever looked at
the Western landscape from a moun
tain-top will understand what Sundown
intended by this extensive view. If
one has never seen it, words will hardly
107
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
tell him how it stretches away, red,
yellow, blue, in a prismatic way, shaded
by cloud forms and ending among them
— a sort of topograghical map. I can
think of nothing else, except that it is
an unreal thing to look at.
" Well, for begeen wid, one man she
always go alone ; nex' night noddair man
go. Firs' man she 'ave de bes' chance,
un eet geet varrie bad for las' man,
'cause dose Enjun dey catch on to de
game un watch un go roun' for cut de
trail. But de Enjun horse-t'ief he mak
de trail lak de snake — eet varrie hard
for peek up.
" I was 'ave de idea I geet de medi
cine-man, un I tole dem dey don' know
not'ing 'cause dey cannot see, un I tole
dem I see everyting ; see right troo
de cloud. I say each dose Enjun now
you do jus' what I tole you, den you
fin' de pony.
1 08
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
" So de firs' man he was start off een
de afternoon, un we see heem no more.
When de man was geet de horse, un
maybeso de scalp, he skin out for de
Piegan camp.
" Nex' night noddair man she go start
off late een de afternoon, un I go wid
heem, un I sais, 'You stay here, pull
your robe ovair your head, un I go een
de brush un mak de medicine for tell
where ees good plass for heem to go.'
When I was mak de medicine I come
back, un we set dair on de mountain,
un I tell heem where he go 'way out
dair on de plain. I sais : ' You go
down dees canyon un follow de creek
down, un twenty-five mile out dair you
fin' de horse ban'. You can sleep one
night een de plass where I was point
heem out — den you geet de pony. Eef
you not fin' eet so, I am not medicine
man.'
109
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
" So dees man was go. One man she
go every night, un I was set een de log
fort all 'lone las' night. I was say eef
deese Enjun she do what I tole heem, I
be beeg great medicine-man dees time.
Den I geet varrie much scare, for I was
las' man, un dose Absaroke dey sure be
gin see our trail, un I put out de fire
een de log fort, un I go off down de
mountain for geet 'way from de trail
what deese Enjun she mak. I was wan*
mak de fire on dees mountain, 'cause
she jus' 'live wid dose grizz'ily bear. I
varrie much 'fraid — I sleep een de tree
dat night, un jus' come day I was go
down de creek een de canyon. I was
walk een de water un walk on de rocks.
I was geet beeg ban' elk to run ovair
my trail. I was walk 'long de rim-rock,
un was geet pretty well down een de
plain. I was sleep dat night een de old
bear-cave, un I was see dees camp pretty
no
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
well. Eet was good plass, 'bout ten
mile out een de uppair valley of de
Beeg-Horn Reever, but I was 'ave be
careful, for dose Enjun dey weare run
all ovair de country hunt deese horse-
t'ief tracks. Oh, I see dem varrie well.
I see Enjun come up my canyon un
pass by me so near I hear dem talk. I
was scare.
" Jus' come dark I crawl up on de
rim-rock, un eet was rain hard. Enjun
she no lak de rain, so I sais : ' I go
down now. I keep out een de heel, for
I see varrie much bettair dan de Absa-
roke, un eef I tink dey see me I drop
een de sage-bush.' " And here Sundown
laughed, but I did not think such hide-
and-seek was very funny.
" Eet geet varrie dark, un I walk up
to dees camp, not more dan ten step
from de tepee. I tak de dry meat off
de pole un trow eet to dose dog for
in
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
mak dem keep still while I was hear de
Absaroke laugh un talk. De dog he
bark not so much at de Enjun as eef I
be de white man ; jus' same de white man
dog he bite de dam leg off de Enjun.
" I cut de rope two fine pony what
was tie up near de lodge, un I know
deese weare war-pony or de strong buffa
lo-horse. I lead dem out of dose camp.
Eet was no use for try geet more as de
two pony, for I could not run dem een
de dark night. I feel dem all ovair for
see dey all right. I could not see much.
Den I ride off."
" You got home all right, I suppose?"
"Eef I not geet home all right, by
gar, I nevair geet home 'tall. Dey
chasse me, I guess, but I 'ave de good
long start, un I leave varrie bad trail, I
tink. Man wid de led horse he can
leave blind trail more def rent dan when
he drive de pony.
112
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
" When I geet to dat Piegan camp I
was fin' all dose Enjun 'cept one: he
was nevair come back. Un I sais my
medicine she ees good ; she see where
no one can see. Dey all sais my medi
cine she varrie strong for steal de pony.
I was know ting what no man she see.
Dey was all fin' de camp jus' as I say
so. I was geet be strong een dat camp,
un dey all say I see bes' jus' at sundown,
un dey always call me de sundown medi
cine."
I asked, " How did it happen that
you could see so much better than the
others ; was it your medicine which
made it possible ?"
" No. I was fool dose Enjun. I was
'ave a new pair of de fiel'-glass what I
was buy from a white man, un I was
not let dose Enjun see dem — dat ees
how."
" So, you old fraud, it was not your
H 113
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
medicine, but the field-glasses?" and I
jeered him.
" Ah, dam white man, she nevair un-
derstan' de medicine. De medicine
not 'ave anyting to do wid de fiel'-
glass ; but how you know what happen
to me een dat canyon on dat black
night? How you know dat? Eef eet
not for my medicine, maybeso I not
be here. I see dose speeret — dey
was come all roun' me — but my med
icine she strong, un dey not touch
me."
" Have a drink, Sundown," I said,
and we again forgathered. The wild
man smacked his lips.
" I say, Sundown, I have always
treated you well ; I want you to tell
me just what that medicine is like, over
there in your tepee."
" Ah, dat medicine. Well, she ees
leetle bagful of de bird claw, de wolf
114
SUNDOWN'S HIGHER SELF
tooth, t'ree arrow-head, un two bullet
what 'ave go troo my body."
" Is that all ?"
" Ah, you white man !"
THE END
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